
German shipbuilder TKMS says it remains on track to deliver the first MEKO A-200 DEU frigate in 2029 after Germany cancelled the delayed and over-budget F126 programme, while reaffirming plans to buy eight new warships.

Economic researchers and partners in the ruling coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz have warned of immense economic costs and legal difficulties that could result from plans for military conscription proposed by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in June in an attempt to boost the numbers of the German armed forces.

Part III of this analysis examines the implications of the single most interesting data point to emerge from the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. This date has never been mentioned in earlier media reports, and what is almost startlingly significant is not only what transpired on this date, but the fact of the date, itself.

Even after two decades since the acquisition case, the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) search has seen a system absent from trials and failing trials, being passed as technically compliant and ending up as, apparently, the cheapest. Also problematic is the difficulty its purchase could pose by provoking U.S. sanctions under their CAATSA.

The Indian Navy has increased the mandatory tenure of captains to eight years before officers can be eligible for promotion to the rank of commodore. As a result of this, captains in the navy will spend an additional three years in the rank – up from the existing five-year tenure, before they are eligible to being considered for promotion to commodore.